C6-Sunday News, November 2, 1980 The nicest cab driver in the U.S. The Philadelphia story: Part Ill I don’t know about Philadelphia being the “City of Brotherly Love” but I do know that it has some of the nicest cab drivers I've found in quite a while. My first encounter was on a night I was to join a group of friends at a restaurant for dinner — at Siva’s, 34 Front St. I grabbed a cab in front of the hotel, handed the address to the cabby and off we went. Unfortunately, Front Street doesn’t display numbers on the buildings. We found a restaurant called SOVA’S, in the proper area so I got out my wallet and prepared to pay. “Listen honey,” said the cab driver. “I'm turning off my meter so it won't cost you a cent. You go in and make sure that this is the mnght place. If it isn't, we'll look further. If it is, and your friends aren't here yet, you come back and wait in the cab. It doesn't do for a nice lady to be sitting alone in a restaurant!” I couldn't believe my ears' The only other place in the world where this kind of thing might happen would be in London, England, where the majority of cab drivers are jewels beyond price. But in Philadelphia? It sure wouldn't happen in New York or Washington! We eventually found Siva’s — meter stll turned off! ] upped generously The big food fad in Philadelphia mght now 1s East) Indian cuisine My fmends were raving about the “laste treat” we had in store for us. Great. I can get fine East Indian food right here at home and was dying to sink my teeth into some old “Twelve Colony”’ specials lke crab cakes, lobster stew and cherrystone clams. trayel- by Barbara McCreadie } think that Philadelphia's East Indian population has been living in the USA for quite some time — their food was nothing like I've had here. Pity. Canadians are spoiled! We have such a choice of fine ethnic (please pardon that term — I hate it too) restaurants that when traveling we should stick to the specialties of the area we visit. If you want a great disappointment, try ordenng clam chowder and a salmon steak in Vemice' My second happy) en counter with a cab dnver was the day | went to the Betsy Ross House Since it was pouring rain and I had only two hours till train ume, I dickered with the driver. Would he take me there and WAIT? “Sure, lady. I gotta grab a bite to eal anyway. You go look the joint over and I'll be in the cafe on the corner.” The entire wail cost me $2. Nice people, those Philly cab drivers. I was, as a Canadian, impressed with the new Franklin Plaza Hotel. 1 didn’t stay there bul spent an hour or so looking it over. It’s the first Canadian Pacific Hotel in the United States and geared to conventions. Geared? Streamlined would be a better word. They can handle thousands of glassy- eyed conventioners — but not just yet! I've never seen a hotel staff im such a_ turmoil. Philadelphia was in the finals to get into the World Senes. If they should win, as they did, the poor Franklin Plaza was to be the official hotel. That meant they needed 300 rooms within 48 hours. They had 158 completed — the rest were in various stages: no carpet, no furniture, wires hanging out of walls — in short, a managers’ nightmare. I never heard how they made out with the hotel but Philadelphia didn’t do too badly with the baseball end. One more restaurant that | tried and LOVED. La Camargue, 1119 Walnut St. French — here again no local speciahties. but i doesn't pay to get picky when fnends pick up the tab! The Fnday special is a dish that I'm going to try to duphcate called Marmite Diepporse No. at has nothing to do with that black paste some people smear on toast and seem to survive A diamond means trouble CHICAGO (UPT) Leola Chambers has learned the hard way that sometumes whatever Lola wants Lola doesn't get Ihe 49 year old Romeoville woman faces up to five years in prison for her convichon of charges of stealing a 37.000) diamond which disappeared alter she threatencd to swallow out claamed the diamond fell out of her ring in bebruary [980 and was lost The dispruntled Customer wanted to have the diamond replaced tutu Peck com plovee told her he Could do nothing about the toss because more than WO days had clapsed since the purchase of the ring or 1 will oswalhow this diamond prosecutlars quoted Chambers as telling the stunned salesman An assistant vice president warned her she could injgure herself by swalhowing the vem but Chambers sau she dhdn t care Chambers was arrested and taken to Henrotin It's sole, rolled up with shrimp and mussels, done in a wine and cream sauce. Lots of cayenne pepper. They served it with rice and dilled fresh green beans. Take plenty of money if your appetite is tuned to things like lver pate ($14 a serving) or lramian Caviar ($28). The daily special runs $8 including soup or salad and coffee. You can get out cheaply if you order the omelette ($4). Try for Friday — you cant beat the Marmite! I stayed at the Barclay Hotel on Rittenhouse Square. It was perfectly safe to wander around at night by myself — streets brightly ht and no “undesirables”. The hotel is old — furmshed with antiques, including the plumbing. | slept in a four- poster bed. Trouble with those four- posters is that you tend to collide with one in the dark (or if you can't find your glasses). A fnend of mune had even a worse experience — he hung his jacket over one of the posts, got up in the morning a little worse for wear, colhded with the post and said, “Excuse me, Sir'” WAIKIKI *°419 8 Days 7 Nagnts As & Hote! WAIKIKI 9 *429 15 Days 14 Nights Ag & Hole! WAIKIKI *559 22 Oays 2) Nagnts Aa & Hote: LAS VEGAS +199 5S Days 4 Nights Aw & Hote: RENO $199 S Qayvs 4 Nagnts Ag & Hote RENO ‘299 8 Deys 7 Nignts Ag & Hote: 1666 Robson Sreet 10507 K Geo Hwy Surrey 689-7117 Reg Travet Agent No 157 3 passport photos while you wait ‘North Shore Darkroom 1527 Lonsdale 988-9813 1560 Marine Dr. 926-0421 SKYLINE TRAVEL SERVICE —The Seattle—King Country Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Combine to bring you the annual XMAS SHOPPING TRAIN Leave Van , Nov 8, 7 OQam. Return/Leave Seattie Nov 10.7 15pm A CANADIAN WEEKEND AT SEATTLE WITH CANADIAN MONEY AT PAR (OR BETTER At a host of ptaces including hotets, shopping, sight-seeing. entertainment, restaurants, Tilicum Vilage & many others Stores Open Sunday Chorce of hotets starting at $64 per person, Can tunds. dbie oc = Cupancy inctuding roundtinp rail, 2 mghts hotel! and tax, bus between Seattie depot & hotel Full payment requred with reservation SKYLINE TRAVEL SERVICE 563 Granville St., Van. Phone: 685-6102 Barbados & St. Lucia Double your tun wrth a fabulous two island holiday Fiesta is the acknowledged leader in two island sunshine holhdays Now, you can combine the excitement of Barbados with the lush scenery and relaxed solitude of St Lucia Two weeks from $1,099 00° per person double occupancy ° HESIA holidays inctude Fnday might departures va AIR CANADA cy) through Toronto. with Saturday arrival Intensiand fights on LIAT _ return airport to hotel transfers, 14 nights accomodation. services of a Fiesta island representa trve and a Fiesta beach bag Ask us for Fresta s 56 page colour brochure on ail ther Sunshine holidays P LAWSON TRAVEL He todhayra ger Park Royal - North Mall WAIKIKI WINTERFEST 8 Hawaii Pack — ; f ’ brow. s ov Ivne So Chambers returned to Hospital where X trays tik ¢ b b Kkieal Meee eine otare, “es the store on beb 14 and had failed to show a diamond in a ‘ oe | < , apap | a oscalesman show her a her stomach The woman During the womans trial diamoud to natch her then told pole atte had day of departure ut was testified that setting She chose a 1 28 thrown the damond near a —~ ~ tate ane Chambers purse hased 3 Arat Kom worth about plant in the display bono . . $4 SOO dhamond ring in bY "9 $0000 and popped wtoimte before her arrest tut oa 14 Ni i $ aS A Peck & Co her mouth search failed Fo produce tbe ights tia Prosecutors said vhic J want tosee the top man KOM prosecutors sas Per Pereon{Dtle Occupancy Mid Week Departures Phex 25 Jan 22 tffective Dec. 25/80 - Ap: 16/81 roseway travel bach Package includes:- * Round trip WardairClasé airfare to Honolulu 14 nights ato top Wathiki hotel (Choice of 8) Hotel porterage Transfers 4% Hawaltt State Tan ae Fra paolo returned: from an in Geptty tous of AUS TAAAL IA Sobre seaked On tthe Cabth AT tIAREIE RA RAE EE Ayb FS. BHOOC KB cared Tearveserd) cover beard) pcone ocr 0 FOO) ra vthees, bhked and camped at ° We TE br Cah cha gee yoourud, aM conn Pavern cen presenernye ea: when qatar, yoocan frig howe, cave dere 926-8616 Suzanne Carson AV Ti bah Fa, ' North Vancouver Sentor Consultant Went Vaate een | RAVE rt 980-0321 abn. a~ «thet or 1&2 hay grew hb ange «Wb Bebagn crane + Dantotle Mc Donald My: